"They're a team that are very, very dangerous. We have to come in and execute defensively, or it's going to be a long night," the Raptors coach said before Toronto (2-3) failed to execute defensively early on in an ugly 92-90 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.

With both teams playing for the second night in a row, the game was a ragged affair -- though that's a sorry excuse for the putrid play.

Toronto clearly didn't get its wakeup call -- the Bobcats shot 75% in the first quarter, zipping the ball around with zero resistance for 11 assists on 15 made baskets. The Raptors also didn't foul early, even though the Bobcats rank second-last in the league in free throw percentage.

Nobody could figure out why there was such a slow start.

"Our approach at the beginning of the game was very unlike us and if we played the way we did the last three quarters, the game doesn't come to that," Casey said.

"That was a great lesson for us to come out with a professional, intense approach as if we're serious about winning and we didn't do that "¦ We had no defensive focus whatsoever."

The Raptors couldn't convert down the stretch and allowed human freight train Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to score a pivotal end-to-end bucket. DeMar DeRozan missed a runner in the final minute and the team declined to foul until the final seconds.

"We felt like we had five seconds and as soon as we got the rebound (the team was) going to call timeout," Casey said of why the Raptors fouled so late. "(If Charlotte makes) two free throws, it's over with anyway "¦ We felt like we could get one stop and then get a timeout. That's the way it went down at the end, it should never have gotten to that."

Afterward, the visitors were frustrated with themselves.

"It's maturity. We have to get smarter. We have to get smarter with preparation for games. Personally, I have to bring it in the beginning of games. I have to demand continuity on the defensive end and set the tone," said Rudy Gay, who started 1-for-5 from the field.

DeRozan added that he was mad at himself for not going up stronger on Toronto's final offensive chance, which could have tied the game before the final sequence.

"I should have went straight up, tried to be more aggressive, make the ref have to make a call on that. I'm upset on myself for that decision. I tried to shy away from the contact," DeRozan said.

Landry Fields, again one of the better Raptors, summed it all up.

"We just can't come out like that the rest of the season," he said.

"There's no excuse for not playing hard "¦ Sometimes shots don't fall, but you can always give 110%."

Gerald Henderson, who usually keeps DeRozan in check, did it again, while also putting up 23 points.

Gay scored 20 for the Raptors, but shot just 8-for-21 from the field. Jonas Valanciunas was stellar again with 12 points and 10 rebounds, dominating inside early. But he did not see the floor in the fourth quarter and had only one shot attempt after the opening 12 minutes.

"I thought Amir (Johnson) and Tyler (Hansbrough) did a heck of a job. Rotating those three is huge, there's no one guy that's going to (be favoured over) the other," Casey explained.

Casey said the team would like to find Valanciunas more throughout entire games and not just early, but he needs to work to establish position inside as well.

SPACING STILL A PROBLEM

Casey is still searching for more fluidity out of his team's offence. The Raptors managed just three assists on nine made baskets in the dismal first quarter.

"Decision-making is a concern, lack of ball movement," Casey admitted before the game.

And it's not just Kyle Lowry and his backups.

"I don't know if it's the point guards, I think it's the skill-set and style of player of our wings. Rudy has to have a few more dribbles to get his rhythm, DeMar's the same way. They're not your traditional wings, they need a couple more dribbles than a normal wing," Casey said.

Against Charlotte, DeRozan and Gay frequently overdribbled, leading to turnovers and easy baskets at the other end.

AROUND THE RIM

Lowry had an x-ray done on his ribs after a collision early on, but said he would play on Friday in Indianapolis "¦ Walker shook off an injury in New York to play in his 152nd consecutive game since entering the league "¦ Henderson has now reached double figures in 28-of-29 games "¦ Despite his poor shooting, Gay has scored in double figures in all five games this season "¦ This was the first double-double of the season for Valanciunas "¦ Toronto has not won in Charlotte since March 29, 2010 "¦ The loss prevented the Raptors from going over .500 on the road for the first time since December, 2011.

“They’re a team that (is) very, very dangerous. We have to come in and execute defensively, or it’s going to be a long night,” the Raptors coach said before his team failed to execute defensively in an ugly 92-90 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.

With both teams playing for the second night in a row, the game was an ugly affair – though that’s a sorry excuse for the putrid play.

Toronto clearly didn’t get its wakeup call – the Bobcats shot 75% in the first quarter, zipping the ball around with zero resistance for 11 assists on 15 made baskets.

The Bobcats then played dead for the second quarter, allowing the Raptors to reach halftime all tied up. Five-for-18 shooting appeared to doom the Raptors in the third quarter, but improved defence and a Bobcats offence that suddenly flew south made a game of it in the end.